


Philia

by AtrociouslyFailing



Series: Yuri!!! in Space [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alien Character(s), Alternate Universe, Blood and Violence, Crossover, Gen, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, space dragon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-10-23 19:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 14,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10725426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtrociouslyFailing/pseuds/AtrociouslyFailing
Summary: The Voltron AU that nobody asked for.





	1. Chapter 1

The blue paladin breathed shallowly as he ran down the dimly lit, purple corridor of the Galran ship. Hearing footsteps ahead, he halted and glanced around before pressing himself into a tight crevice in the wall. He clutched his bayard to his chest, holding his breath as a couple of sentries passed by him. Round, brown eyes closed as he sighed with relief. The comms crackled alive inside his helmet, “Yuuri? Have you made it to the hub yet?”

“No,” Yuuri murmured shakily, glancing out into the hall before leaving his hiding place, “I’m almost there.”

The comms started again, a different, more disgruntled, voice spilling into his ears, “You better hurry the fuck up! Beka’s practically been camping out there!”

Yuuri pinched his brows in guilt, hissing through his clenched teeth, “I don’t see _you_ in here!”

“ _I’m sorry._ Do you want me to come hold your hand?” the snarky voice quipped, “Too bad I’m out here _distracting the fleet!”_

“Yurio! Yuuri! Quit it!” the original voice cut in firmly, “Yuuri, get to Otabek. Yurio, your _left.”_

“My left? Wha-? _Shit!”_

Yuuri’s breath stuttered as he heard the blast and Yuri’s yell through the communications link. He picked up his pace, his heart beginning to beat more frantically. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time. He tried not to think about how his friends were faring outside, choosing to focus his attention on getting to Otabek as quickly as possible. He ducked around as agile as he could given his unknown surroundings. As he neared the door, his expression lit up. He bolted for it and quickly tapped out the agreed upon sequence to let him inside.

He sank down to the floor, taking deep breaths, as soon as the door shut behind him. Otabek huffed, unimpressed, before holding out his hand. Yuuri reached into the pouch at this hip and dug out the microchip, dropping it into the green paladin’s palm, “Sorry for taking so long…”

“Don’t apologize. I’m the one who was careless.”

“Still,” Yuuri whispered. Otabek _had_ missed grabbing the chip before they all left the castle. The blue paladin had been stuck with the task of returning to the castle discreetly, grabbing the chip, and getting aboard the main Galran ship to get it to his companion. He could've, admittedly, been faster.

Otabek set to work quickly, slipping the chip into its rightful slot in the Galran mainframe. He had already hooked up his laptop to the machine, the device fast at work breaking through the various, alien firewalls and coding. Yuuri tapped his fingers against his thigh impatiently, ears straining to listen for any sounds that may come from the other side of the door. His eyes drifted to the pile of broken bots thrown haphazardly around the room they were in, swallowing thickly. Otabek had taken them all out himself. Alone.

The blue paladin felt a shudder thrum through him. There was no way Yuuri could have taken them out on his own like that. He glanced down at his bayard, biting his lip as his mind filled his head with self-doubt. Otabek’s gruff voice broke through Yuuri’s thoughts, “Done. Let’s go.”

Yuuri scrambled to his feet, embarrassed at having not noticed his fellow paladin had already fixed everything back into place and stood. Otabek tucked his laptop under his arm and headed for the door, sparking the loose wires under the scanner to open it. Yuuri stood on the opposite side of the door, peeking out after the doors slid open to survey the corridors, “Seems to be clear.”

He started to move out but was grabbed by the collar. A yelp escaped his lips as he was yanked back into Otabek’s chest. Yuuri parted his lips to question him but was silenced with a hand over his mouth. The answer to his unspoken question arrived soon enough. His breath caught in his throat as he visibly paled. This just had to be _his_ ship.

Commander Christophe, one of the Emperor’s most trusted and loyal commanders, paused as his glowing, yellow eyes swept along the corridor, four soldiers at his side. Yuuri’s body trembled in barely contained fear as he and Otabek took a few silent steps back, hoping to keep out of sight. Christophe frowned, glancing to one of the soldiers closest to him, “Pray tell, why is there no one posted in the control room?”

“I-I don’t know, sir,” was the stammered reply.

Christophe sneered before growling out, “I highly recommend you go find out then.”

The soldier swallowed audibly before, hesitantly, making his way into the room, blaster raised. The confusion in their voice at seeing an empty room was utterly priceless, “Um… Commander, sir? There's no-”

The Galran was silenced with a well-aimed shot to the neck. The soldier slumped to their knees, blood filling their mouth as they gagged. A moment of silence passed before all hell broke loose.


	2. Chapter 2

Clenched fists slammed against the controls of the red paladin’s unmoving lion. _Damnit!_ Yuri forced himself out of his seat and scrambled to get behind it, opening up a compartment with an emergency repair kit inside. He ground out through clenched teeth, “Red, I swear if I die here because you decided to take a nap or some shit-”

“I'll cover you!”

Yuri felt his eye twitch before he marched back over to his control panel and slammed his hand down on the panel, “I don't need your help!”

“I don't know if you've noticed, Yuri, but your lion is out of commission.”

“Idiot, I know that!” he yelled, “I'm fixing it.”

He squatted down and wrenched open a panel as the voice over the com laughed heartily, “Well, while you do that, I'll just be over here, making sure that it doesn't get worse before you _can_ fix it~!”

“Fuck off,” Yuri grumbled as he set to work on reviving his lion.

“Yurio!” a different voice whined obnoxiously through the speaker, “You break my heart every time you bad mouth one of your comrades. Do you enjoy breaking my heart like this?”

The red paladin couldn’t have rolled his eyes any harder if his life had depended on it, “As it turns out, yes, yes I do. Now, fuck off and die in a ditch.”

“Yuuurrriiioooooo,” a dramatic sniffle followed.

“That’s it. I’m muting. I don’t have time to deal with your bullshit, Victor,” Yuri rose up and tapped a few buttons quickly before dropping back down with a huff. He grumbled under his breath as he properly surveyed the damage now that it was quiet. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be. He’d have to get Beka to help him with some of it, but it looked like he could patch a few things himself to get back up and running in the meantime. As he worked, he found his mind wondering how the green paladin was doing. He scowled, having only reminded himself that Victor had sent Yuuri in instead of him. He’d much rather be with his close friend than stuck out here trying to get his lion back online. He felt his expression soften as worry danced through his stomach and up into his chest, squeezing his heart in its unforgiving grip. Yuuri better be doing his job and get Beka back out of there alive.

Yuri managed to finish the patches, stripping a couple of wires and sparking them together as the final step to his quick fix. The body of the lion thrummed as the lights of its eyes flickered back on. Its paladin whooped happily and kicked the panel shut before sliding back into the pilot seat. The red paladin looked out the window just in time to see the yellow lion taking a final hit for him before flying off to tear through a fleet of smaller galra ships that were beginning to surround the black lion. Yuri smirked, a dangerously excited glint lighting in his green eyes, “Ready, Red?”

A confirming growl answered him before his lion took off towards the main ship, aiming to take out the main ion cannon. He switched his com off mute just in time to hear the tail end of something Beka was saying, “-ck up!”

His brows furrowed in concern, “Beka? What?”

“Yuuri and I need back up! Now!” Otabek barked through the com, “Yuuri’s been hit.”

Yuri’s grip tightened his controls, “I’m coming! Are you two still by the hub?”

“No. We’ve managed to get out of there. We’re heading towards the hangers. Not sure if we’ll make it. Yuuri can't walk. Lucky couple of shots to the leg.”

He grit his teeth as he internally seethed. _Of course, that pig got himself hurt._ He’s going to strangle the man as soon as this is over, “I’m coming. Get to the han-”

“No!” Victor’s voice interrupted, “Yurio, we need you here protecting the castle. Otabek, it’d be wiser for you to hijack an escape pod. I’ll have Phichit snatch you up after you launch.”

“WHAT?” Yuri yelled angrily, “NO WAY! They’ll get blown up, _or worse_ , they’ll be caught before they can even get out of there!”

The black paladin’s voice was like ice when he spoke, _“That’s an order, Yuri.”_


	3. Chapter 3

Otabek dragged Yuuri with him as he navigated the halls of the ship, heading towards where he's sure the hanger is located as fast as they can. It was difficult when he had the blue paladin’s arm slung over his shoulders to help. Damn Galra just had to shoot at the knees. Beka paused momentarily to adjust the weight Yuuri was leaning into him. This guy seemed to be getting heavier at every corner. He needed to get them out of there. Glancing narrowed, chocolate eyes over his comrade’s face, a worried frown tugged at the corner of Otabek’s mouth. The blue paladin’s own brown eyes fluttered as he fought to stay conscious and keep going.

“We’re almost there,” Otabek told him, trying to sound reassuring. They rounded a corner and had to stop abruptly.

A line of sentries faced them, weapons drawn. Yuuri dropped his arm to let Otabek grab his bayard. The green paladin glared at the robots before activating his bayard, the familiar weight of his blaster entering his hands. Yuuri activated his shield as the sentries fired their lasers, doing his best to help his fellow paladin. Otabek aimed for their heads, stepping behind the shield to keep his comrade from moving on his injured leg any more than necessary.

By the time the last of the bots were shot down, they had to turn and fight the soldiers that had managed to catch up with them. Yuuri dropped his shield as one of the Galra entered his space. Otabek managed to briefly see him ram the bayard into the alien’s neck. The soldier dropped after convulsing violently. He returned his gaze to the other three enemies, shooting at them quickly to keep them from getting to Yuuri. Once they were down, he swung the other paladin into his arms and ran.

“I can walk!”

Otabek ignored him, “You’re going to have to hit the scanner.”

Yuuri glared up at him but readied his bayard anyway, brushing it’s electrified edge against the scanner as they got to the door leading into the docking bay. The doors opened as it malfunctioned, letting them through easily enough. Otabek ducked behind a stack of crates as they were fired upon by the bots and soldiers that were stationed there.

“Shit,” his brow furrowed as he tried to think. They had to steal a ride. It would’ve been simple enough, but there were far more soldiers here than in the halls, ridiculous as it was for that to be the case. He opened his end of the com link for the third time that mission, “Yuri, I’m sorry.”

“Whatever you're doing, don’t you fucking dare!” the red paladin’s voice rang through his helmet immediately afterwards, “You promised!”

“I won't be able to make it tonight.”

“BEKA!” Yuri’s voice sounded as if it was on the verge of hysteria, the sound of it mixing with the other paladins’ concerns.

He muted the com as he ran from behind the crates with Yuuri held securely in his arms. The blue paladin had the mind to reactivate his shield despite the hold around him tightening almost painfully. Otabek ran to the closest, empty ship, tossing the injured paladin in before retrieving a different microchip and slipping it into the ship's control panel. He slammed the cockpit closed after pressing a button. Yuuri’s eyes grew wide with alarm, and he slammed his fist against the glass, yelling for him to get in. The ship started up, slowly rising up as Otabek turned his back on it and got out his bayard.

As the ship flew itself out of the hanger, Beka shot aimlessly into the crowd of Galra advancing on him.


	4. Chapter 4

Phichit’s teeth dug into his lower lip as he silenced the coms. He had to. He couldn’t take Yurio’s yells and pleas. Grey eyes dutifully chose to watch for the escape pod that he was supposed to snatch up, however, mindful of the Galra fighters that still fired down on him occasionally.  There were a lot less to deal with now, possibly due to the commotion that happened aboard the ship. He adjusted his grip on his lion's controls, dodging another fighter before shooting it down. He, then, edged his position to be a little closer to the main ship.

Suddenly, a lone Galra fighter jet shot out of the hangar area. The yellow paladin barely managed to dive for it and snatch it up in Yellow’s jaws. He turned his lion around and booked it back towards the castle. He hesitated, but only for a moment, before unmuting the com system in his cockpit. Yurio had grown scarily quiet, but with one look out towards where the red paladin’s lion was tearing into cannons, Phichit confirmed that he was still there. He cleared his throat, attempting a cheerful tone, “Yuuri! Welcome back! How’re you holding up?”

He waited a moment. Silence was all that greeted him. Fear iced his veins, “Yuuri? You okay?”

A choked sound finally crackled over the speaker, “I… Phichit…”

Relief flooded him. His friend wasn’t in shock or something. Good. A barely audible sob ran that feeling of relief right off, “Yuuri! Don’t cry! Look. We’re almost back to the castle. We’ll get you into a healing pod, and you’ll be fixed right up!”

_“No!”_

“No? What do you mean no?! You were shot in the leg!”

A strangled hiccup met his ears, “No. We have t-to go back!”

_Oh…_

The yellow paladin’s expression softened before he whispered, “We can’t. You’re hurt. I’m taking you back to the castle. Victor’s orders.”

“Fuck Victor and his orders! We can’t just leave him!”

Phichit flinched at the conviction in the blue paladin’s voice. He steeled his resolve before replying as evenly as he was able, “We have to get out of here. That ship sent out a distress signal after they sent out their fighters. If we stay and try to get Otabek, the Emperor will, without a shadow of a doubt, end up getting all our lions. I’m sorry, Yuuri. We’ll figure out a way to get him back, but right now, we have to leave him behind. We don’t want to have his capture be in vain…”

It was silent between them for a moment before Phichit heard another quiet sob. He sighed through his nose before flying his lion expertly into the castle’s hangar. Once inside, he docked his lion and had it gently put down the ship Yuuri was encased in. He slid out of his seat and clambered out of Yellow, going to help the blue paladin out of the ship and help walk him towards the medical bay. The red and black paladins would return as soon as they went through the wormhole that was about to be created. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he felt the spike of Altean magic in the air, knowing the wormhole was probably already in the process of being opened. He opened up the Galran ship with a bit of difficulty.

The yellow paladin was unprepared to be met with the sight of Yuuri’s teary eyes. Shock briefly shook him before he grew somber. He reached in and helped the blue paladin out of there as painlessly as he could, “Come on, Yuuri… Celestino’s probably already waiting by the pods.”

  
Yuuri didn’t meet his eyes, letting his best friend wrap an arm around his waist to help him walk. Phichit, pointedly, kept his gaze away from Yuuri’s mangled knee as they headed to the healing pods.


	5. Chapter 5

Long, pale fingers thrummed along the dining table’s surface as Victor’s mind strayed to the blue paladin, who was still in the healing pod. It had almost been twenty four hours since Yuuri had gone in. How much longer was this supposed to take? A dark hand slowly inched its way towards the black paladin’s untouched bowl of nutritional goo. He glanced to the yellow paladin out of the corner of his eye, a frown attempting to tug at his lips.

“Take it,” he muttered before pushing the bowl over to Phichit, much to the younger’s delight. Victor just didn’t know how he could actually like eating that. The black paladin managed to refrain from giving a look of disgust as he watched him dig in. He stood up from his seat, deciding he’d rather go check on Yurio.

This walk to the medical bay from the dining hall was rather uneventful. He tapped the button next to the door once he had arrived, the door sliding open. Blue eyes fixed on the red paladin as Victor stepped inside the room. If Yuri had noticed him enter, the paladin sitting cross-legged on the floor by the blue paladin’s pod certainly didn’t give any sign of it. Yurio’s green eyes stayed glaring up at the unconscious Yuuri’s face.

Victor walked up to the two, eyes briefly glancing to Yuuri before dropping down to the other, “You’re not allowed to hit him when he gets out.”

Yurio bristled before, finally, turning his glare on the black paladin. He clenched his jaw and hissed through his teeth, “He deserves it.”

“No, he doesn’t. I understand you’re upset about Otabek, but don’t take it out on Yuuri. I’m sure he did the best he could in their situation.  If you’re going to blame anyone, blame Otabek himself. He made the call.”

The red paladin was silent for a moment, his body slowly losing its rigid tension, before whispering, “You’re the one who had us leave him behind…”

“…I did, and I don’t regret making the decision.”

Yuri’s brows furrowed angrily as he pushed himself up off the floor, his voice echoing loudly in the large room, “I could’ve gotten them both the fuck out of there if you didn’t say not to!”

Victor didn’t bat an eye as he responded, “What could you have possibly done? Ram into the ship and grab them? Your lion was in terrible shape, and you were needed close to the castle while Minako created the wormhole for us.”

He watched the series of complex emotions flit over the other paladin’s face, not bothering to try and interpret them. Victor knew he was right as did Yuri himself. After a moment, a frustrated noise ripped from Yurio’s throat. Before Victor could step out of the way, the younger rushed forward and shoved him angrily. Caught off guard, the black paladin simply fell over, landing rather harshly on his backside with an ‘oof’. His wide eyes looked up afterwards, barely managing to catch sight of the doors closing behind the vexed teenager.

  
“Well, that didn’t go very well…” he muttered quietly to Yuuri, standing up and brushing himself off. He sighed softly, giving one more glance to the healing pod before taking his leave as well.


	6. Chapter 6

The dark world the blue paladin had been wrapped up in started to give way, sucking him into the much brighter room of the castle's medical bay. He stumbled forward with a soft, shuddering gasp. A pair of arms caught him and hugged him close, “Yuuri!”

He had to clear his throat a bit in order to reply, “Hey, Phichit.”

Phichit let go after helping him get his footing. Yuuri glanced around, noticing the yellow paladin was the only one there to greet him. He took a quiet breath to keep himself calm, hating how small his voice sounded as he spoke, “Um… Where is everyone?”

“The control room,” the other supplied easily.

Yuuri took another breath as relief began to settle in his lungs, “So… They’re not mad?”

The yellow paladin placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, “Don’t worry about that. You should be resting right now. Let me walk you to your room?”

The blue paladin nodded, feeling just how tired he was. The healing pod was great for closing wounds and fixing broken bones, but it didn’t provide actual rest. If anything, it made one even more fatigued. He followed Phichit out of the medical bay. Yuuri swallowed dryly before asking, “Why are they in the control room?”

“They’re brainstorming.”

“On how to get Otabek back?”

Phichit nodded, “Considering it was Christophe’s ship… Every second counts.”

“He…” Yuuri whispered, attempting to keep his voice from shaking, “He should be the one here. Not me.”

Phichit stopped and caught his arm, turning him, so they were facing each other, “No. Don’t think like that.”

“I-it’s true though… I’ve been stuck in that position before. I know what to expect and how to deal with it. I never wanted any of you to be-” he cut himself off, clenching his fists as he averted his gaze, "It's my fault."

He found himself tugged into another hug, Phichit whispering fiercely, “It's not your fault. We’re going to do better this time. We’ll get him back.”

Yuuri closed his eyes, leaning into the embrace, “I want to help…”

“You can after you rest,” Phichit pulled away and grabbed his wrist in a loose grip, “C’mon. Let’s get you to your room.”

  
The blue paladin allowed himself to be led down the hall, his mind wandering to darker places lit only by dim, purple lights. The skin along his back tingled around where he knew the scars were.


	7. Chapter 7

Victor brought his hand up to card through his hair, thinly veiled aggravation etched into his face. They’d been at this for hours, and no one could agree on a solid plan to rescue the green paladin. He dropped his hand before sighing dramatically to get the others’ attention, “We’ll continue this later. For now, we should get some rest.”

“What?!” 

Victor felt the immediate urge to thump his head against a wall. Of course, Yurio wasn’t going to let them have a break. The black paladin merely narrowed his blue gaze at the hot-head, “You heard me. We’re not making any progress like this.”

“So we’re just giving up?! Just like that?!” Yuri scowled, fists clenched at his sides.

“No. Not giving up,” Victor shook his head, placing his hands on his hips, “Just taking a break. Who knows? Maybe, one of us will dream up some miracle answer.”

“You’re the one who keeps shooting down all my ideas!”

“That’s because your ideas would get one or more of us killed.”

The red paladin stomped towards him and jabbed a finger at his chest, “Well, maybe, you should start coming up with some ideas then!”

Victor pretended to think about that for a moment before shrugging, “Would you look at that? I have nothing.”

He barely managed to catch the punch thrown at his face. Yurio let out a frustrated yell and snatched his fist back. He, then, abruptly, turned away and marched out of the control room. Victor sighed heavily, “Always the face…”

“Should’ve known better than that. Otabek’s his impulse control,” Minako piped up from her seat, “and he’s not here.”

Victor frowned at this, “Really? In that case, I should have Phichit stick close to Yuuri… Just to make sure nothing happens.”

A pleasant laugh slipped from the Altean, “I doubt you’d need to have Phichit do that. Yuuri can handle Yurio just fine.”

Pouting, the black paladin crossed his arms, “I guess. I’ll check in on him in a little while. Just in case.”

Minako smiled knowingly at him, “Riiight.”

Victor started for the door, feeling awkward, “I’m going to take a nap.”

  
Once he was out of the control room, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Victor headed towards his room, pausing outside of Yuuri’s door momentarily. He kept walking, figuring the blue paladin needed his rest. Victor would talk to him later. He walked into his room a few doors down and flopped down on his bed. He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping to get some shut eye for once.


	8. Chapter 8

_ Purple fingers tightened around a pale throat, squeezing threateningly. The voice growled into his ear was enough to send shivers down his spine, “I'm not going to ask again.” _

_ A shuddering breath left chapped lips, but he stayed silent. He had to. The hand left his throat after a moment only for searing pain to wreck through his body afterwards. Electricity sparked along his skin as screams were ripped from his mouth. The electricity cut off. A deep laugh followed off to his side, “Oh, how I love your screams. After you tell me what I want, how about you just stay here with me? You’ll want for nothing.” _

_ “N-no…” was his weak reply to the Galra. _

_ “No? We’ll come back to the subject later then.” _

_ Yuuri’s body stiffened as the shocks started again, screaming once more. _

 

The blue paladin awoke with a start. His hand batted around until it touched his glasses. He picked them up and slipped them on. He purposefully slowed his breathing, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. A couple of knocks to his door startled him a moment later. Yuuri sighed and slipped out of bed. He padded over to the door and pressed the button, eyes aimed at the floor as it slid open.

“Oh, good. You’re awake,” Victor stepped forward as if to walk inside, but Yuuri stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

“Not now…” he whispered.

Victor paused and placed a hand over where Yuuri’s was placed. The black paladin’s hand was cool against his feverish skin. Victor’s voice grew gentle, “If that is what you wish.”

Yuuri’s throat closed up as his doe brown eyes pricked with tears. Victor took his hand from his shoulder and brought the blue paladin’s knuckles to his lips, giving them a brief kiss. Yuuri took his hand back once he let go, “I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize. I’m here for you, Yuuri.”

  
Yuuri’s heart stuttered in his chest. A single tear slipped down his cheek before he reached for Victor’s hand. Victor let the blue paladin tug him into the room, tapping the button to close the door once inside. Yuuri pushed him to sit on the edge of the bed before straddling the black paladin’s lap. He settled down on him and leaned into him, resting his forehead on Victor’s shoulder. He felt Victor’s arms wrap around him after a couple of breaths. Only then, did Yuuri let himself cry freely. Victor held him through it, being the solid support he desperately needed.


	9. Chapter 9

Phichit leaned against a wall idly, watching Yurio stew in rage. They had arrived in the control room at the agreed upon time, yet Victor and Yuuri hadn’t shown up. The red paladin looked about ready to explode. Phichit watched those pale fingers fiddle and fidget. He watched the other’s leg bounce for moments at a time. What really drew the yellow paladin’s attention was the fire in the young man’s eyes. He was extremely glad he wasn’t the blue or black paladin in that moment.

He understood, of course, why Yurio was getting angry. They needed to retrieve Otabek from that nightmare of a ship. Yuuri hadn’t been the same since _the incident_ their first year having been paladins. It had been reckless and poorly planned, and it almost had cost them the blue paladin. If anything, Phichit would make sure they didn’t have history repeat itself.

However, the green paladin has proven time and time again that he could handle himself just fine. Otabek was sure to come out of this in much better shape, but Phichit or Yuri didn’t want to chance it in the first place. Yurio, abruptly, stood and started stomping out of the room, seething.

“Yurio!” Phichit hurried after him and caught his arm, “Wait! I’m sure they’re coming. There’s no need to do anything drastic.”

“They’re taking too long,” Yurio growled, attempting to rip his arm away from the other’s grasp.

The yellow paladin’s grip held, “Patience. Yuuri’s probably-”

“Probably what? Blubbering pathetically while he lets Beka-” he stopped himself.

Phichit felt his skin crawl. If Otabek returned in the same condition Yuuri had before… He swears he could vividly see the hollow, haunted look in those brown eyes. How Yuuri wouldn’t eat. How his stare wasn’t focused. As if he was in an entirely different world. The worst was the screams. Yuuri would scream (and scream and scream and scream), reliving the past through his dreams.

Shaking his head, Phichit rid himself of those thoughts immediately, “It’ll be different this time. Yuuri knows how to navigate that ship and knows its best escape routes.”

The red paladin sneered, “He can’t even show up to help. I bet Victor’s fucking coddling him.”

“Yuri,” Phichit’s voice dropped considerably as his gaze averted, “Stuff like that doesn’t just go away. He’s… He might not act like it, but he’s still dealing with what happened. If Victor is helping him through it, fine. I’m glad he is. Yuuri needs it.”

“But-”

“Shut up!” Yurio’s eyes widened at the snap. Phichit’s grey eyes shifted to glare at him, “If anyone can empathize with what is happening to Otabek on that ship right now, it will be Yuuri. He will get here when he gets here.”

  
The red paladin swallowed thickly, gritting his teeth. A minute goes by with them just glaring at each other before he finally gives the yellow paladin a slight nod. Phichit let go of his arm and strolled back into the control room to wait, Yurio following him back inside reluctantly.


	10. Chapter 10

Yuuri’s tears slowed after some time. Despite that, he still felt Victor’s hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. The black paladin waited a moment more before speaking quietly, “We’re late.”

Shaking his head, Yuuri sniffled, “I don’t want to go…”

“We should,” Victor breathed, moving Yuuri so that he’s sitting up and no longer hiding his face in the black paladin’s shoulder. Blue eyes bored into brown, “You should. With you, it’ll be easier to rescue Otabek. It’ll be…”

“Faster than when it was me?” Yuuri whispered, averting his gaze, “If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t be on Christophe’s ship still.”

“Yuuri,” Victor lifted a hand to tilt the blue paladin’s chin up, “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and it won’t be the last. You can’t keep beating yourself up over this. Whatever happened on that ship? It’s done. We can’t change that, but we can change what happens next.”

Yuuri sighed softly, “Okay…”

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Victor’s cheek. He, then, slipped from the black paladin’s lap, “Let’s go, then.”

Yuuri walked to the door but paused when he realized Victor wasn’t following. He turned to the other man questioningly. He immediately wished he hadn’t. Victor’s face was flushed a pretty pink, and his impossibly blue eyes were trained on him with an all too familiar glint in them. Yuuri felt his own face heat up. His voice rose in pitch, “Victor, no!”

Victor slowly rose from the bed, “No?”

The blue paladin slapped his hand on the door’s button, the door sliding open easily. He stated more firmly,  _ “No.” _

Pouting, Victor’s stance relaxed into something less predatory, “Later then.”

  
Yuuri could only imagine how red his face was at the moment. He turned away sharply and nearly ran into the wall in his haste to get out of the door. A laugh followed the blue paladin down the hall.


	11. Chapter 11

The taste of blood was heavy and metallic in his mouth. Otabek swiped his tongue over his chapped lips briefly as he stared into the darkness that surrounded him. There was a door here somewhere, but it was so dark, he could hardly see his own hand in front of his face. _How long have I been here?_

He couldn’t tell. His armor and bayard had been taken before he had been thrown in here, leaving him in just the black undersuit. No one came by to check on him. Not even to bring him food or water. He ran his tongue over his lips again, trying in vain to moisten them. He was thirsty. The green paladin leaned his head back against the wall he was sitting up against, muttering out a small, “Fuck.”

His head lifted upon hearing footsteps out in the hall. Otabek’s body tensed as they grew louder and stopped just outside. A beep sounded and purple light washed through the room. He never thought he’d be glad over those dim lights. He blinked to adjust his vision, his eyes landing on the tall, cloaked figure standing in the doorway. He slowly stood, shifting his stance over to fight if he found he needed to.

The druid stepped into the cell, towards him. Each step deliberate as the person closed in on him. Otabek felt his body suddenly snap tight, his arms and legs snapping him upright. His eyes widened in alarm. He fought against the magicked control, but nothing gave. His breathing was slightly labored from his efforts by the time the druid stopped in front of him. A thin, clawed hand slipped free from the cloak, reaching up to pull down their hood.

The green paladin was taken aback by the reveal of a thin, feminine face of an older woman. Her glowing yellow eyes bored into his, white hair pulled into a tight bun atop her head. Her ears were pointed, and her face had red marks from the corners of her eyes to those of her mouth. She didn’t look like any galra he’s ever seen. He had a million questions shooting through his mind, none of which he could voice due to the hold the druid had on him. Her hand took his chin in a tight grip as she forcibly turned his face from side to side, studying him.

She clucked her tongue, disappointment souring her expression, “Pity. You won’t do at all.”

Otabek gasped as his limbs were released, and he dropped down to his knees. His gaze immediately snapped up to her, “What the hell does that mean?”

A cruel smile twisted her face, “Nothing you should worry about. Be grateful, Paladin. You’ll be going to the arena.”

It felt as if ice flooded his veins. He’s heard of the horror that goes on in the arena. She laughed at his fear as she walked out, “It’s been a pleasure.”

  
The door closed behind her, plunging Otabek into darkness once again.


	12. Chapter 12

Victor studied the hologram laying out the large, Galran battle cruiser before him, “The vents…?”

“Yes,” he could see Yuuri fidget out of the corner of his eye, “It’s our best bet to get in unnoticed? At least, for a while… Enough time to break Otabek out.”

The red paladin, off to his right, stepped up to the hologram and squinted, “What vents?”

Yuuri stepped over to stand next to Yurio, pointing to a space along the back of the ship, “It’s well concealed in design, but they’re around here. They should lead us to the cell block.”

“You’re certain he’ll be in the cell block?” Victor questioned, turning his blue eyes to Yuuri.

The blue paladin, in turn, hesitated, “...No. It’s the most likely place he’ll be. If the druids have him, he’ll be in a different block entirely.”

Yuuri pointed towards the front of the ship, “There.”

“Will we have access to there?” Phichit piped up.

“Through the vents? No… We’d have to sneak up from the back of the ship. It’s higher security in the front,” Yuuri bit his lip and shifted nervously.

“I’ll be the one to go there,  then,” Yurio frowned, his brows knitted as he stared intensely at the map.

Victor crossed his arms, “Sure. Minako will fly the castle into a safe, hidden area nearby. Yurio, you’ll fly you and Yuuri in close and get into the vents. If you can’t find Otabek in the cell block, you’ll both head to the high security section. From there, Phichit and I will distract the ships and their defenses if alarms go off.”

Minako had turned her head towards them upon hearing her name, sipping out of a cup. She put the cup down with a grin, “Sounds like a plan! We’ll execute this plan in about ten vargas. Any objections?”

No one offered anything. She clapped her hands together, the hologram disappearing shortly after, “Alright then! Paladins, get your rest. You’ll need it.”

Victor waited until everyone else had left before moving to stand by Minako. She looked up at him expectantly. He glanced down at her, sighing softly, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.”

She smiled reassuringly, “Worrying is just you caring what happens to them… Which is better than when you started, yes?”

A laugh was startled out of the black paladin, “I guess you’re right…”

“We know what to do now, Victor. With Yuuri’s experience, this will go much smoother than last time.”

“Less damage repair for the red lion, too, I hope,” Victor joked with a grin.

Minako laughed, delighted by the remark, “I remember that! Yurio drove it right into the control room!”

  
Victor couldn’t help laughing along. The tension and worry in his gut eased as they recalled old memories from his first year as a paladin.


	13. Chapter 13

The blue and red paladins walked side by side as they made their way to their respective rooms. Yuuri worried his lip with his teeth, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye every now and then. As they neared the blue paladin’s door, Yuuri finally opened his mouth, “Yuri, I-”

“Shut up,” Yurio grumbled, cutting him off. They slowed to a stop. Yuuri bit his lip again. The red paladin sighed, “I don’t want to talk about it much less  _ think _ about it.”

Yuuri tried again, “I really need to-”

“No,” Yuri glared at him fiercely, jaw clenched, “Don’t. I don’t want apologies or some shitty heart to heart talk. Especially not from  _ you _ . All I want is to have him back.”

The blue paladin dropped his gaze, feeling his heart sink, “Okay…”

Yurio started to walk again. Yuuri stopped him once more with a gentle hand. That gentle hold was slapped away immediately. He figured he probably deserved that. Yuuri rubbed the stinging in his hand as he started talking again, “I-I know I just said okay...but I can’t… I can’t let you go like this. We don’t have to talk about _ that _ , but can we just talk for a while?”

Yurio scowled at him, “What? Gonna start getting all buddy buddy with me just because you’re feeling guilty? What even is there to talk about?”

Yuuri swallowed, wanting to just curl in on himself and sink into a blackhole, “I-I don’t know… M-maybe something like… what you and Otabek were planning on d-doing? After the… Uh..”

The red paladin’s expression had grown slack with surprise before hardening again. His voice was somewhat softer, “You mean what he promised me he’d do.”

He could only give Yurio a nod, mentally wishing he could hit his head against a wall. Yuuri was pretty sure he was tip toeing around a mine field at this moment. It’d be too easy to misstep. Yuri gave a short, forced laugh, sarcasm dripping like venom, “Cause that’s a conversation that would take our minds off what’s going on.”

Yuuri flinched, biting his lip again, “I’m sor-”

“I told you not to apologize,” Yuri snapped at him, “Shut up!”

The blue paladin stepped back, crossing his arms as a way to comfort himself as well as provide a small barrier between them, “Okay.”

They were silent for a moment. Yuuri just watched Yuri. Watched as the other struggled to calm himself down. The red paladin’s gaze had dropped to the floor, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Finally, Yurio spoke, “Beka… He promised me…”

Yuuri tensed up slightly, waiting for him to continue.

“He promised to...give us a try…”

The blue paladin blinked, “What?”

Yurio’s cheeks reddened,  _ “You heard me.” _

“Give what a try?” Yuuri’s brows furrowed, confusion still there.

“Us,” Yurio started to rush his words as he continued, “I mean it’s not  _ like it’sabigdealoranything. _ ”

“You like Otabek?  _ Like like? _ ” Yuuri pressed, “Like… Victor and me?”

The red paladin looked as if he was seconds away from some kind of heat stroke. He, suddenly, yelled, “ _SHUT UP!_ I’m going to my room.  _ Forget this.  _ We’re not talking about it anymore. If I hear you bring it up again, I’ll _ beat the shit out of you. I fucking swear it.” _

  
Before Yuuri could stop him, Yuri was already sprinting the rest of the way to his room. The blue paladin sighed, walking the few steps to his own door. A small smile touched his face, however. He was, surprisingly, feeling a bit better.


	14. Chapter 14

The sound of cheers and jeers greeted the green paladin’s ears. He shifted his weight as he stood, waiting amongst other prisoners in the pit. The place stank of blood and sweat. A couple of Galran soldiers were going through the prisoners and sending certain ones off into a different group. One of them stopped and sneered at a shorter alien to Otabek’s right. The alien was covered head to toe with brown fur and had cat like ears that were currently folded back in fear. A tri-set of horns curled back from the top of his head. One of the soldiers grabbed his arm., “You. You’re next.”

The alien began to shake, chestnut brown eyes wide in its round face, “I-I can’t fight! I don’t know h-how. Mine is a peaceful race. P-please!”

Otabek clenched his jaw as he watched the other soldier grab his free arm. They began to drag him up the stairs to the arena. There was no mercy to be had here. He clenched his fists. He needed to step in. _I'm a paladin of Voltron for fuck’s sake._ The green paladin took a deep breath, steeling his resolve for what he was about to do.

He launched forward after them, the other aliens around him immediately shouting. Otabek grabbed the young alien and ripped him out of the soldiers’ grip, throwing him back towards the crowd of prisoners. Taken by surprise, the alien landed hard on his back with a cry. The paladin whipped around to face him and lunged for him, slamming his fist down hard beside his head and barely missing him by a couple of inches. He grit his teeth, having felt his knuckles crack. He could already feel the blood starting to seep from them, yet he kept his pain reeled in expertly. The horned creature stared up at him in fear as well as the other prisoners that were now backing away in horror.

Otabek kept his voice low, making sure just this alien heard, “Are you hurt?”

The other shook his head minimally in response after a moment of silence. The paladin let out a soft breath through his nose, “Well, act like it.”

He gripped the front of the alien’s garb and dragged him up as Otabek stood. He flung the alien down and went to stomp on him. The furred creature quickly got the idea and moved his leg out of the way just in time, giving a dramatic cry of pain anyway. The soldiers seemed to come alive a second later, immediately immobilizing Otabek with a quick shock from one of their staffs. The paladin slumped to the ground, wheezing from the electricity.

He looked up through his bangs to see the alien laying it on thick, fake tears included. The orange colored tears wet the fur on his cheeks as he whined about a twisted joint. Otabek kept his face carefully stoic despite wanting to smile. It was working. A few of the soldiers started carrying the alien off to the group of prisoners that were being shipped off to the mines after he was deemed unfit to fight. Otabek couldn’t help the sigh of relief that rushed out of him.

A soldier grabbed the back of Otabek’s neck with a heavy, clawed hand and squeezed tightly. The green paladin was yanked up to stare into those luminescent, amber eyes. The Galra growled lowly, “For your little, heroic stunt, _you’re_ going in his place.”

Otabek pulled a page out of red paladin’s book and, promptly, spat in the guy’s face. The soldier dropped him with a shout of rage, wiping it off. Then, he immediately grabbed the human by the hair and dragged him into the arena. He did his best to even his breathing as he was let go and shoved under the blinding lights. He landed on his hands and knees on compact dirt. When he lifted his eyes, Otabek got his first glimpse of the current champion. The champion was draconic in appearance and massive in size. Its black scales seemed to glitter under the arena's lights, and its fiery, purple eyes immediately locked on the paladin. A rumbling roar of a laugh emitted from its mouth, giving Otabek a clear look at its multiple rows of bloodied teeth.

  
_“Shit,”_ he muttered.


	15. Chapter 15

Wandering the halls of the castle when the ship was powered down probably wasn’t the best thing to do, but it’s what Yuuri could do when he couldn’t sleep. The darkness of the halls gave him a sense of comfort. Only dim blue lights running in a strip along the walls lit the way.

The blue paladin became aware that he was lost after a while, not recognizing the corridor he was currently in. He curiously pressed on. The hall looked like any other in the castle, but he noticed subtle differences, such as pictures of lions etched into the surface of the walls. They’d be easily overlooked if the lights hadn’t played off them just so. Yuuri brushed his fingertips over the carvings lightly, feeling the curves and indentations of the lines. He dropped his hand back to his side as he continued down the hall. Lions turned into mountains and fields as he continued down the hall. Mountains turned into cities and the castle itself. He let out a breath in awe. It was gorgeous. Yuuri, briefly, wondered what it’d look like under the castle’s daytime lights. 

Finally, he reached the end of the corridor. A door stood before him. He blinked at it before adjusting his glasses and tapping the key lock beside it. He was prompted for a password. He frowned before tapping in the one to lock his room. It beeped and turned red, signalling it was wrong. The blue paladin frowned but shrugged it off. He’d ask Celestino about it later. He turned away and started back the way he came.

It took about half an hour, but the paladin finally made it back to familiar halls. He headed towards the observatory, wanting to sit. Yuuri paused, however, upon seeing someone was already there. He stepped forward quietly, speaking softly, “Victor?”

The black paladin turned his body to look over his shoulder, “Yuuri? You should be resting.”

“I could say the same about you,” Yuuri frowned but made his way to Victor’s side, kneeling down beside him, “Stressed?”

Victor shrugged, giving him a smile that was meant to be reassuring, “I’ve been worse. What about you? What's keeping you up?”

“Nightmares,” Yuuri answered honestly, adjusting his legs, so he could sit on his rear, “It's been awhile since they've been this bad…”

Wrapping an arm around the smaller man, Victor leaned against the blue paladin, “I could help you like before.”

Yuuri felt his face heat up, “There’s no need for that…”

“Why not?” Victor gave him an exaggerated pout before grinning brightly, “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

“Sh-shut up,” Yuuri mumbled, turning and tucking his face against the Russian man’s shoulder.

“Yuuri, why not? I’ve offered to share a room with you. My offer still stands.”

“I’m just… I’m not ready yet,” Yuuri breathed.

Victor rubbed his hand down Yuuri’s back, “That’s fine. Want to watch the stars with me?”

Yuuri lifted his face away from the black paladin’s warm shoulder, brown eyes meeting those ice blues. A warm smile touched his lips, “I’d love to.”

  
He snuggled into Victor’s side, getting comfortable. They turned their eyes to the vast expanse of space just outside. The silence between them grew but remained comfortable. As time wore on, Yuuri couldn’t help but let his eyes slip closed as sleep consumed him.


	16. Chapter 16

Victor glanced down at the paladin beside him when the castle’s lights flickered before brightening gradually, signaling the castle’s artificial daytime. His heart fluttered with adoration upon seeing the Japanese man was asleep. He did his best to hold back his urge to coo over the other. Instead, the black paladin moved away from the sleeping man, doing his best not to wake him. Yuuri needed his sleep after all. After standing and a quick stretch, Victor, then, leaned down and scooped the other into his arms with little effort. He frowned at how easy it was to accomplish before whispering in a mock scolding tone, “You need to eat.”

He made his way out of the observatory with Yuuri in his arms, strolling towards the blue paladin’s room. The blue paladin stirred in his arms when Victor paused to try and elbow the keypad for the door. Yuuri blinked up at him sleepily before looking around. With a small sniffle, he reached out a hand and tapped in his room code. The door opened, and Victor gave him a cheery smile, “Thank you~!”

Yuuri wrapped his arms around Victor’s neck and snuggled into his chest, “Are you even human?”

Victor laughed as he stepped into Yuuri’s room and attempted to deposit said person on the bed, “Why wouldn't I be?”

“I don't think I've ever seen you sleep,” Yuuri frowned slightly, finally letting Victor escape his hold.

“Oh, I sleep,” Victor chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed, “You just fall asleep before I do.”

“I don't believe that,” the blue paladin slipped his glasses off and placed them on the table beside his bed, “How long do we have until our mission?”

“Three hours,” at Yuuri’s surprised expression, Victor rolled his eyes, smile still on his lips, “You’ve had a decent amount of sleep. Honestly, Yuuri, that’s a good thing.”

“It is…” Yuuri murmured, casting his gaze downwards. He lifted his eyes a moment later, looking up at the black paladin through his lashes, “Did you sleep?”

Victor could’ve sworn his breath was stolen from his lungs by those chestnut orbs. His brain short-circuited, and he didn’t even think about trying to lie. He shook his head no in response to Yuuri’s question. Yuuri’s face turned concerned. He grabbed Victor’s hand, “Sleep with me!”

This man was going to be the death of Victor. Goodbye, cruel world. His soul has exited this mortal plane. Yuuri backtracked as his mind caught up with what he just said, “Wait! No! I meant-!”

The black paladin silenced the other with a firm, but brief, kiss. He whispered into Yuuri’s lips, “I know what you meant.”

With that, Victor pulled away and toed off his shoes, choosing not to acknowledge how hard the other man was blushing. He, then, laid down beside the blue paladin and shifted around until he was comfortable. Yuuri hesitated before laying down as well, turning his back to him. Victor wrapped an arm around the blue paladin’s waist, relishing in the fact that Yuuri didn’t try to move away. It wasn’t often he was allowed to be this close. He pressed a kiss to the back of Yuuri’s neck and sighed contently, “Sleep well…”

  
He didn’t hear if the other replied to him or not, for Victor was already drifting off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Launching himself into the air, a certain red paladin angled his body just so to spin. He activated his bayard and used the momentum of the spin to slice his sword through the last of the hulking gladiators. He landed nimbly on his feet, taking a deep breath before relaxing his stance. The gladiator, split in half diagonally, sparked wildly and fell. Yuri deactivated his bayard before raising his voice just so, “End training sequence.”

_ “Level Four Training Sequence Terminated,” _ the training deck's A.I. parroted.

The robotic pieces fell through a hole that opened up in the floor as the training room reset itself. He walked over to a towel he had dropped to the floor when he walked in. After picking it up, he wiped the sweat from his face and neck before draping it over his shoulder. Yuri made his way out of the room, nearly walking straight into Phichit. He stopped just before he slammed into the yellow paladin and furrowed his brows, “Come by to train?”

Phichit gave him a short laugh before shaking his head, “No, I’m actually here to find you, and would you look at that? I found you!”

“Oh,” murmured Yuri, “Did something happen with my lion? Missing a part or something?”

“Nope. Just wanted to tell you I finished fixing it up.”

Surprise fluttered through the red paladin, “Already?”

“Already?” Phichit laughed, “Lost track of time again, did you? It took me a couple of hours. In fact, we should probably be suiting up and heading to the bridge.”

Yuri swallowed thickly, his eyes widening only marginally, “Yeah. I’ll… I’ll see you there.”

The yellow paladin clapped a hand on the other’s shoulder before walking away with a wave. Yuri watched him disappear around the corner before making his way to his own quarters to change. As he walked through the long corridors, he steadily picked up speed. An anxious hope resonated through his core. Soon, the paladin’s walking turned into a full on sprint. He flew through the halls, a smile threatening to climb onto his face.

His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest by the time he got to his room. He keyed in his unlock code for his door and slipped inside. He quickly stripped and pulled on his flight suit before gearing up with his armor. He picked his bayard up from where he had tossed it on his bed when he had come in. He hovered it by the light at his hip, the weapon dematerializing into the alien pocket. Before he left his room, he braided and tied up his long, blonde hair. They were finally going to get Otabek back. Though it hadn’t actually been all that long, it felt like it had been years to the red paladin.  That’s just what happened when it came to missing someone. Worrying for their well being. Wondering if they’re being tortured. If they’re even still alive.

Yuri was going to bring the green paladin home even if it killed him.


	18. Chapter 18

When Otabek opened his eyes, he found himself laid out on an uncomfortable, metal table. He attempted to sit up only to notice he was strapped down. Blinking his brown eyes, he looked around the dimly lit room as best as he could, noticing a hooded figure standing with their back to him. He cleared his throat before speaking, “Where am I?”

The cloaked being turned at the sound of his voice. A druid's mask was firmly in place over where their face should be. A pleasant laugh drifted from them, “Here.”

Otabek grit his teeth, “And where is here?”

“Right here,” the druid laughed again, obviously taking pleasure in being vague.

“Fine. You won’t tell me. Will you, at least, tell me how I got here?”

“Hmmm,” the druid stepped up to the table, holding up one of their hands, “Yes… if you don’t fight this.”

The green paladin eyed the syringe in their raised hand. The glowing purple liquid bubbled inside the glass. He forced himself to relax as he gave a small nod of consent. The druid lifted their free hand and tilted the paladin’s head to expose his neck before sticking the needle in. The paladin grunted at the sting but didn't fight as promised. After it was completely drained into his system, the needle was tugged out carelessly and dropped onto a metal cart. Otabek frowned, training his eyes on the cloaked alien, “Well?”

The druid spoke calmly, “You were brought here from the arena by a couple of guards. You were no match for Belexiset.”

“That thing has a name?”

Laughter spilled from behind the mask, “Those that are living tend to have a name.”

The paladin, in turn, shrugged as best as he could in response. Seconds after, Otabek’s body seized. He shut his eyes tight and clenched his fists, mouth opening in a silent scream as he felt himself burning from the inside out. The druid cocked their head to the side before pulling a holographic tablet from their robes. They started typing on it idly, waiting.

The green paladin came back to himself after a few minutes, gasping noisily, “What the fuck was that?”

“Done already? Impressive,” the druid tapped their finger to the side of their mask, “The last to have that drug was a Yuinin. He was under for, at least, two vargas.”

“Yuinin?” Otabek’s mind swam dizzily, not really processing the information.

“From Yuneun? They have horns and fur? Cry in pretty colors?”

The prisoner that the paladin had saved in the arena came to his mind, “Like orange…?”

“Sure,” the druid turned away and strolled to the door, “Guards will be in to take you back to your cell shortly.”

Placing their hand on the keypad, the door swished open and allowed them to exit. The green paladin took a deep breath, trying to ease the nausea that set in the back of his throat. He was out cold by the time the galran soldiers entered to collect him.


	19. Chapter 19

Yuuri’s skin itched under his suit, and he fidgeted, feeling out of place as he mildly listened as Minako and Victor ran through the plan once more with all of them. He knew the plan. If anything, going over it one more time was making him more anxious than he already was. Even as they all headed to their lions to get ready to depart, his stomach did odd flips and turns as his hands started to tremble. He couldn’t help it. What if they couldn’t get Otabek back? What if Yuuri screwed this up? Screwed up another mission? The only reason they’re going on this mission is because he messed up the previous one. There’s so many flaws and uncertainties in this plan. He helped come up with it, but he wished he knew more. Then, just maybe, they wouldn’t be risking the possibility of losing someone else.

His lion’s purr resonated from the back of his mind the minute he walked towards the red lion. The sound calmed his nerves, his hands stilling as his breathing eased. He hadn’t even realized he was starting to hyperventilate. Giving a weak smile, he whispered, “Thank you.”

The purr grew louder before silencing as he walked into the red lion’s open maw. Yurio was already in the pilot’s seat, double checking the systems. Victor’s voice crackled over the comms, “As soon as Minako gives us the word, we’ll move out.”

“Brace yourselves, paladins. I’m opening up the wormhole now. If Phichit’s calculations are correct, we should come out near Sidul.”

“Hey! When have I ever been wrong?” Phichit piped up. Yuuri could practically see the yellow paladin’s pout from his voice alone.

A snort of laughter sounded from Minako’s end, “Oh, hush! I can’t concentrate.”

The ship gave a sudden jerk, causing Yuuri to nearly topple over. He gripped the back of Yurio’s seat to stay upright.

“Ow,” muttered Phichit from his end.

Yuuri felt a grin attempt to stretch over his face, “You fell, didn’t you?”

It was quiet for a moment before Phichit mumbled, “No…”

He chuckled, hearing Victor join in heartily. Phichit followed soon after. The red paladin just shook his head with an eyeroll, however, a small smile twitched at his lips involuntarily. Minako spoke up once they calmed down, “We’re here. Is everyone ready?”

“Yes, Princess,” They all chimed.

“Then, move out, paladins. Celestino’s sent everyone the coordinates for the ship containing Otabek. Good luck, and, please, be safe,” Minako went offline as the hangars opened up.

Yurio wasted no time in launching his lion out of the ship. Yuuri’s grip tightened on the back of the chair as the lion jolted forward. As they continued on their path, Yuuri studied the red paladin quietly, noticing just how tense he seemed to be. He bit his lip, wondering if he should even say anything. After a moment, he decided it couldn’t hurt, so he opened his mouth, “Yurio, I-”

“Shut up, pig,” Yurio side-eyed him with a frown, “We’re going to get him back. I know. Just don’t screw this up.”

Yuuri felt his gut clench as he swallowed back what he was going to say, “O-okay…”


	20. Chapter 20

Victor slowed the thrusters on his lion, letting Phichit fly just ahead of him. He chose to let his gaze follow the red lion as it broke from formation to take a separate path towards their target. He opened the comms, “Good luck, you two. See you on the other side.”

“Good luck,” answered the slightly distorted voices of the red and blue paladins. Yuuri’s voice had been much quieter than his companion’s.

The comms silenced as the red lion became but a speck in the distance. Victor sped his lion back up to fly beside the yellow one. It seemed only a few minutes passed, and they were in position to spring their surprise attack when the signal was given. Until then, they were to stay in the the nearby asteroid field and out of sight. It didn’t take long for Phichit’s voice to pipe up through the comms, “So, how long do we wait here again?”

“Until Yuuri gives us the signal,” Victor replied easily, relaxing in his pilot chair. He turned himself just so and  kicked up his feet onto the control panel to his right.

“And if he doesn’t give us the signal…?”

Victor crossed his arms over his chest casually, “I have no doubt he will, but in that case, Yurio will give the signal.”

“What if they both don’t end up giving us the signal?” Phichit’s face flickered onto the screen in front of Victor, a grin stretched across his face and amusement clear in his eyes.

The black paladin grimaced at the idea, “Again. I doubt we won’t receive a signal of some sort. If they fail to give us some sort of signal in fifty dobashes, then, we are to proceed with the plan as if they did.”

“Only fifty? Is that even enough time?”

“Plenty since Yurio is there.”

“True,” Phichit pursed his lips in thought, “but wouldn’t that leave a large margin for error? Yurio’s going to try to rush through it.”

“Rushing’s kind of the point, no? Anyway, I- Wait,” Victor paused, raising a brow at the yellow paladin displayed on the screen, “Why didn’t you bring this up when we were going over this?”

The yellow paladin’s face colored in embarrassment, “I may have… uh… not been paying attention?”

Victor rolled his eyes, exasperated. He dropped his hands to his lap as his feet slid off the dash to the floor, “Phichit!”

“Sorry! It’s just _so_ boring!” Phichit whined.

“So what? You were just going to wing it out there?” The russian pinched the bridge of his nose, brows furrowing. He dropped the hand to frown at his companion.

“No! Well, yes?”

“Do you even know what you’re supposed to do?”

“Have your back…?” Phichit crossed his arms defensively.

“The cannons. You’re supposed to take out the ion cannons of the ship,” Victor stated flatly.

“That...makes sense.”

“Which is why it’s in the plan. You really need to pay attention when we’re discussing this stuff.”

“Well, we’re discussing it now?” Phichit gave a small quirk of his lips.

“We could be talking about about, literally, anything else right now if you had just paid attention when Yuuri was briefing us on how this mission was going to go.”

Phichit’s smile dropped as he averted his gaze, “Yeah, well, Yuuri usually re-explains it to me after mission briefing, but _someone_ was hogging him.”

“Are you really blaming me for this right now?”

“I wasn’t going to name any names but if the shoe fits,” a smirk slipped onto the yellow paladin’s face, his dark eyes settling back on Victor through the screen.

Victor scowled and tapped a few buttons on his dash, effectively cutting off communication with the yellow lion. He’d open it back up after he took some time to calm down. As leader, he needed to not lose his cool so easily. Phichit was, probably, just attempting to get a rise out of him out of boredom.

“I’m better than this,” he mumbled, attempting to convince himself. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After about six or seven minutes of just breathing, he opened his eyes and turned back on the screen. Then, he spent time briefing their mission once more for Phichit's sake.


	21. Chapter 21

Helmet visor materializing, Yuuri exited the cockpit of the red lion, carefully making his way out of its robotic maw. Its pilot was already out and at the vent, working on prying it open, so they could get in. Yuuri heard his companion huff in agitation, and he picked up his pace, using the built-in jet pack to cross the short distance of space between them. He thudded next to Yurio against the ship, scrabbling to find a grip. He startled when his wrist was grabbed and tugged to a barely there ledge. The blue paladin gratefully held onto it, breathing out his thanks and smiling at the other boy. Yurio rolled his eyes at him before tearing the metal cover off the vent, chucking it off into empty space.

They crawled inside and started making their way through it as quietly as they could with their armor scuffing against the thin metal occasionally. They only stilled when they could hear voices below them. Two different openings were available to them; one to the right and one straight ahead. Yurio turned to look over his shoulder, whispering, "Which way?"

Yuuri bit his lip and gave a small shrug, mumbling through his teeth, "I don't know?"

"Are you serious?" the red paladin groaned in annoyance, "Whatever. We're splitting up then. I'll go straight. You go right. If you find Beka, contact me. Then, slap him for me. I'll come running to slap him a second time."

Before the blue paladin could protest, Yurio set off down the vent swiftly. Yuuri sighed heavily and turned to make his was down the right opening. He followed it down until he happened upon the end of it. He peeked through the grate, watching a few sentries pass by like clockwork. He tapped lightly with his fingers, timing them. As soon as they rounded the corner, he turned and kicked out the grate. He slipped out and dropped down to the floor. After a quick glance around, he spoke into the comms, "Yurio, I'm right by the cell block."

"I said to contact me _after_ you found Otabek," the grouch replied, "Idiot."

Yuuri sighed as the comms silenced before making his way down the hall towards where he knew the cells would be. He started to grow unsettled the closer he got, however. There were no guards stationed by it. Why? There were always guards when he had been held here. He cut the comms back on, "I know you said only when I found him, but I think there might be a problem?"

 _"What?"_ Yurio's voice was but a whisper.

"Besides a couple of sentries, I haven't seen any guards here," Yuuri approached the cells and knocked a couple of the doors. Not hearing anything moving about inside any of them, he mumbled, "I think... I think these cells are empty?"

"Check every one of them. I'm heading towards the druids. Go flag Victor, and find Red."

"Okay. Be careful, Yurio, and don't engage any Galra."

"Whatever, Mom," the Russian huffed.

"I'm serious," Yuuri stated firmly.

"Yeah. Yeah."

Yuuri frowned as the comms silenced again before making his way towards what, he hoped, was some kind of engine room. The signal needed to be not only big but loud as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to start taking drabble/prompt requests on my tumblr. If you want to request anything, this is a link to [the post I've made on it,](http://atrociouslyfailing.tumblr.com/post/161836184846/so-im-gonna-open-up-writing-prompt-requests-if) and [this is a link to my ask box.](http://atrociouslyfailing.tumblr.com/ask) <3
> 
> ^u^/ thank you~


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I changed the title. I just like this one better for this fic. I apologize for the sudden change. <3

"So..." Phichit slowly started up, "How long has it been?"

"Not fifty dobashes," Victor stated flatly, eyes flicking up to the paladin on his screen. The icy blues returned to staring out towards infinite space in the direction where he knew the Galran fleet was located. Phichit sighed obnoxiously loud in reponse. A blinking, blue light appeared in the middle of Victor's screen followed by a loud beeping that, effectively, cut off what the yellow paladin was going to say. Victor straightened in his seat and grabbed his controls, "That's Yuuri's signal. Let's move out."

"But, Victor... It hasn't even been fifty dobashes!"

"A signal's a signal, Phichit. Maybe, they've found him," Victor shrugged to himself. With a push of the controls, the black lion lunged forward and kicked off the asteroid. The yellow lion followed right behind it, maneuvering to fly at the other's side.

Phichit suddenly yelped, "Hey!"

"Everything alright?" Victor questioned, concerned.

"My lion locked its controls!"

Victor snorted before laughing loudly, "Did you do something it disliked?"

 _"He!"_ Phichit corrected, "And I didn't do anything!"

"Maybe, it's because you had to have your mission re-briefed to you," Victor joked.

"Shut up," Phichit grumbled, "Now, I know how Yurio feels... _Oh no. I know how Yurio feels._ "

Victor continued laughing until a well aimed shot smacked into his lion from the ship they were approaching. He immediately halted his merriment and swerved to miss another shot. He barked out, "Phichit, get the cannons!"

"Aye aye, captain!" the yellow paladin sang over the comms before his lion followed through. The yellow lion worked on slamming itself through each cannon as Victor dealt with the incoming fighter jets. The black lion twisted and twirled around them, making the ships either crash into each other or be thrown off course. Soon, the fighter pilots decided to change their target, shifting their fire to the yellow lion. Victor just urged his lion to take them out before they could do too much damage to Phichit's lion. 

The yellow paladin finished his task of taking out the cannons, and took off towards the back of the heavily protected ship. Victor watched him go only momentarily before returning to fighting against the nearly endless fleet of fighter jets pouring out of the mentioned Galran ship. His lion roared furiously, taking brief control. Victor's eyes widened, surprise flittering over his face, "Bl-black?!"

"Not so funny when it's done to you, now is it?" Phichit snarked over the comms, guessing accurately as to what Victor's current problem was.

The black lion launched itself towards the main ship. Victor's hands gripped the controls as he slammed on them, trying in vain to get them to work, "Stop!"

Phichit's voice crackled alive again, "Victor? What is it doi-"

Victor threw his arms up to cover his face and head as his lion slammed full force into the ship's hull, a wave of energy pulsing out from the blow. The lion powered down as the Russian breathed raggedly. He fought to keep his eyes open but failed. Darkness swallowed him up as he slumped forward into the cracked glass.


	23. Chapter 23

Turns out, it wasn't an engine room the blue paladin had entered. Made especially clear by the gun that had pressed against his temple upon entry. Currently, he kept his hands up where the group of galra could see them as they marched him down the dark corridors. They were entirely too confident of themselves. They hadn't even bothered to handcuff him. Despite that, panic started to rise in his throat. He needed to activate the signal, but he might get shot for doing so. God, did he hate getting shot.

Yuuri glanced around at the soldiers marching in a tight circle around him, seeing none of them were paying too much attention to him. He slowly brought one hand down and tapped a small device hooked at his waist. The butt of a gun smacked into his back. He gasped as he stumbled forward. The soldier that struck him growled, "What did you just do?"

"I-I don't kn-now what you're-" Yuuri scrambled for an excuse. He was struck again, this time over the back of the head. Stars swam in his vision. He was grabbed by the back of his armor and thrust against a wall. He clenched his jaw against the rough treatment, hissing through his teeth. Large hands started patting him down head to toe. His helmet was yanked from his head and tossed to the ground carelessly.

The small, square box attached at his hip was soon found. The galra that found it held it up to his face and growled, "What is this?"

Yuuri refused to answer. The galra threaded their fingers through his hair and clenched it tight. The paladin only had moments to brace  himself before his head was slammed against the wall. The soldier repeated himself firmly. Yuuri sucked in a shaky breath before answering, "P-pacer."

"Pacer?"

"Monitors heart rate," he continued, lying earnestly, "Pressing the button sends results to the medical bay aboard the castle. I have a heart murmur. If I do not send the results every hour- I mean... varga. Every varga. It will set off alarms, and as I told you before, no one knows I am here."

The galran soldiers studied him before trading looks between themselves. The one holding the box dropped it to the ground and crushed it under their boot. Yuuri stared in shock. He felt as though he probably should've seen that coming. The soldier, then, peeled the paladin from the wall and shoved him into continuing their walk down the hall. Yuuri stumbled for a couple of steps but was able to regain his balance as they soldiered on. He threw a glare over his shoulder at the galra that shoved him before facing forward once more.

They had made it a couple more yards down the corridor when the alarms started blaring throughout the ship. One soldier on each side gripped Yuuri's upper arms, beginning to drag him in a different direction. The paladin let them for a moment, but after the other galra that had been guarding him had run off towards the hangars, he pried himself out of their grip. He elbowed one of the guards in the ribs before slamming down his hell on the other galra's foot. They yelped before turning furious, yellow eyes towards him. Yuuri dropped his hand down to the lights at his thigh, his bayard materializing into his palm. He raised it up as the electrified edge grew and crackled with energy.

The galra lunged for him. He dodged away, striking them one after the other with his bayard. Not even waiting for them to hit the floor, he turned and bolted back to where his helmet had been tossed. He scooped it up as he continued running, jamming it onto his head. A laser shot by his head, barely missing. Brown eyes grew wide at that. He sprinted down the corridor, skidding around a corner as he attempted to remember which way they had come in.

Yuuri backpedaled, nearly falling over, when he nearly ran face first into a couple of sentries. The bots raised their blasters, instantly opening fire. He dodged into the first doorway he could get to. A chill slid down his spine the second the door shut behind him, trapping him in the room. The paladin's eyes darted about the room before settling on the last person he wanted to see. The large galra stood from his desk, casually striding around it, "What do we have here, hm?"

Back pressing against the door, Yuuri wished he could just sink into the floor and disappear. Christophe looked like the cat that got the cream as he stalked forward, "The blue paladin. How wonderful."

Said paladin slid sideways along the wall, attempting to keep distance between the two of them, "Stay back!"

The commander laughed, "And if I don't?"

Yuuri held up his bayard defensively, effectively causing the galra to pause. Christophe tilted his chin up slightly as he tilted his head in thought, "Not a bad argument...but you'll need to do better."

A shout slipped from the blue paladin as the galran commander rushed forward to wrestle the weapon from Yuuri's hands. Yuuri fought back, kicking and punching. All too soon, his fingers were pried away from the comfort of his bayard, and the weapon was tossed out of his reach. Christophe pinned him down, grinning maliciously, "Have you learned nothing from last time?"

"Get off of me!" Yuuri bucked up, attempting to knee the other.

Christophe easily used his legs to pin down the paladin's, "Ah ah ah... No. Bad, little paladin. Behave."

A whimper slipped from the human, yet he still struggled against the galra's hold. The galra's grin only grew wider, "Now that you'll be back in our possession, we can continue where we left off."

Yuuri's struggling ceased as his mind spaced, bringing him back to that awful room. Strapped to the table. Screaming and endless pain coursing through his veins. His breathing grew shallow and quick with fear. He was thrown from the dark recesses of his mind when something crashed into the ship. The wall exploded in, a terrifying roar filling the space around them. Christophe took the brunt of the damage as they both skidded back from the force of the blow. Yuuri shoved the unconscious galra off of him with a groan. Chestnut eyes turned their attention to the source of the wrecking only to widen at the sight of the lion there. The black lion clogged the hole in the side of the ship. Judging by its eyes, Yuuri guessed it shut itself down.

He scrambled to stand up before stumbling over to the maw of the lion. He knocked on its snout, "Victor?!"

The blue paladin received no answer.


	24. Chapter 24

Victor Nikiforov had no idea how long he'd been out, but when he awoke, he became aware that he was being dragged across the floor. Whoever was doing it was struggling with his weight. He blinked his eyes purposefully, trying to clear his bleary vision, before asking aloud, "Who?"

The person carrying him stopped at the sound of his voice before, quite suddenly, Victor found himself in a crushing embrace on the floor.

"Victor, you're okay!" It was Yuuri. Wait...

"Yuuri?" Victor pushed out of the hug to stare at him, "What? How?"

The blue paladin pointed to the black lion that was still lodged in the ship's wall. Victor turned to it and stared, the memory of it coming back to him. He grimaced, "Right..."

He paused at seeing Christophe passed out on the floor on the other side of the room, "You...were with him?"

"You crashed in when he got ahold of me..." Yuuri mumbled, pointedly not looking at where the galran commander lay.

The black paladin forced himself to stand despite it making him feel nauseous. Well, at least Yuuri wasn't alone wi-

A glance around made his brow furrow, "Where's Yurio?"

"We, uh," Yuuri stood, fidgeting nervously, "separated."

"Otabek?"

"I don't know. Yuri hasn't checked back in with me in a while, and he told me not to contact him unless I found Otabek."

"Damn it," Victor frowned, "I told you two not to separate unless it was absolutely necessary."

"I-I'm sorry. I should've-"

"Now's not the time," he cut the other off before opening the comms through his helmet, "Yurio? Are you there?"

"Yeah."

Victor had to stop himself from sighing in relief, "Where are you?"

"Where do you think?"

"Did you find him?"

"Not yet. I have one more cell to break into."

"Stay on the line with me."

Victor waited patiently, keeping an eye out for any soldiers or sentries that could be heading their way. A line of bots entered to see what crashed into the ship right as Yurio took in a sharp breath. Victor grabbed his bayard, activating the chain sword, "Yurio?"

"It's him," the red paladin whispered.


	25. Chapter 25

Otabek struggled in his bonds, his eyes locked on the screen before him. His hands were held up over his head, bound by metal cuffs to the solid wall behind him. His ankles and chest were also bound. He couldn't let them do this. Yuri had to know that wasn't him. Right?

He watched the red paladin activate his sword and slice the... _the thing_...free from its chains. Yuri knelt down in front of it and took its face in his hands before pressing a kiss to its forehead. Otabek stilled, dark eyes locked on that kiss. The woman from before stood in the room with the green paladin, her face turned towards him as her glowing eyes studied his reaction. He scowled at her, "Why are you doing this?"

A smile twisted her lips, "One of my underlings made it clear that you could be of some use after all, paladin. This is merely an experiment to see if that's true."

An experiment. Messing with his fellow paladins was just an experiment. A harsh laugh erupted from his lips, "This is sick..."

Her smile didn't falter. Not even looking back at the screen, she questioned, "The way the red paladin looks at you... Are you together?"

 _"That is not me,"_ he spat.

"No. That's as close as I could get," she hummed, lacing her fingers together at her waist.

His eyes lifted back to the screen in time to see the red paladin lifting up Lilia's creation and helping it walk from the cell. Otabek renewed his struggles, "No!"

A cruel laugh fell from Lilia's lips, "He can't hear you. It seems you _were_ useful after all."

With a clap of her hands, the screen shut off. She slipped her hood back over her head and left the room with a swish of her cloak. The door shut firmly behind her. The cuffs released him, dropping the green paladin to his hands and knees. Panic crawled its nauseating way up his throat, but he swallowed it down. He needed to get out of here. With an urgency bordering on desperation, he started searching the room for any way out. Every crack and corner was observed, clawed at, and punched at. The vent at the top of the room was both too high and too small to fit him. He slumped down onto the floor, running his hands through his hair. The only way out was that door. 

He was going to have to fight whoever came through that door next.


	26. Chapter 26

"Hey, Beka," Yuri grunted, hefting the other man up to get a better grip around his waist, "You're going to be okay. I've got you."

The red paladin helped Otabek walk as they made their way down a corridor towards the vent Yuri had crawled out of. It didn't take long to reach it. Yuri whispered gently, "C'mon. I need you to get in."

Otabek's eyes appeared glassy and dazed, but the green paladin slipped his arm from Yuri's shoulders and hopped up to grab the edge of the open vent. Yuri helped to lift him into it before jumping up to lift himself in as well. His arms trembled with exertion as he started to pull himself in.

"Halt!" a robotic voice rang out. Yuri's gaze snapped over to the couple of sentries. Their blasters were raised and aimed straight at him.

"Go! I'll catch up!" the red paladin shouted before dropping back down to the floor, getting out his bayard and activating it. He managed to drop his shield just as the bots opened fire. Taking a deep breath, he rushed forward, moving his shield in order to slash at the robots. They dodged around his swings, trying to keep their distance from the deadly blade. Growing increasingly frustrated, the paladin threw himself into his strikes, wanting to end this quickly. Yuri finally managed to skewer his sword through one of the sentries with a yell. A triumphant smirk touched his face before a sharp pain stung his back. A wet warmth trickled down his spine. He turned, eyes widening, to see the green paladin with a blaster aimed at him.

"B-beka?" the sense of betrayal beginning to flood through Yuri hurt more than any wound, "Why?"

The man before him no longer looked out of it. In fact, he looked confident and strong. A sinister smile crossed Otabek's face as he adjusted his grip on the pistol in his hand. No answer was given as the trigger was pulled once more. Yuri made no move to block it. He didn't feel it even as the laser hit him square in the chest, causing him to stumble back a step. Tears pricked his eyes as he stared at his fellow paladin, finding it hard to believe this was even happening. He pressed a hand over the would, finally tearing his eyes away from the person before him as he looked down. He pulled his hand away, blood having coated the glove of his suit. It shined under the dim lights of the ship. He swallowed thickly before slowly sinking to the floor, feeling sick. Slow footsteps caused his gaze to drift back upwards. The color drained from his face as green eyes met glowing yellow.

"You're not him," he whispered.

A cruel, short laugh dripped from all too familiar lips. The voice that answered sounded just like Otabek, "No, I'm not."

Another shot rung through the air. Yuri's shoulder jerked from the blow. A tear managed to escape and slip down his cheek as he slumped over.

"Pathetic."

His eyes slipped closed.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: http://atrociouslyfailing.tumblr.com


End file.
